South Africa’s mining industry is advancing technologically, but worker safety must remain the sector’s highest and uncompromising priority.
Mine safety must remain non-negotiable in South Africa’s mining sector. While the industry continues to modernise through technology, automation and sustainability initiatives, the protection of workers underground should never be compromised in the pursuit of production or profit. Recent tragedies have once again highlighted the risks mineworkers face daily.
The was recently stated by South African authorities, according to a statement made available to THE ROCKPOST, in a bid to curtail the hazards, especially accidents, suffered by miners in the course of doing their routine mining work.
Earlier this month, two contractor employees died at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Kloof mine after an inspection platform collapsed down a shaft in Gauteng. In March 2026, five miners lost their lives following a mud rush incident at Ekapa Minerals’ Joint Shaft in Kimberley. The Stilfontein illegal mining tragedy also reignited national conversations around mining safety, regulation and worker vulnerability.
Although South Africa’s mining industry has made notable progress over the years, significant safety challenges remain. According to industry reports, mining fatalities have declined by 91% since 1994, when 484 deaths were recorded. In 2025, the industry recorded 41 fatalities, the lowest on record compared to 42 in 2024. However, falls of ground remain a serious concern, with fatalities from such incidents increasing from 12 in 2024 to 15 in 2025.
A key message emerging from recent industry discussions at COALSAFE 2026 is that treating workers fairly is not optional but essential to building a safer and more sustainable mining sector. Worker wellbeing, mental health support, proper training and respectful labour practices are directly linked to operational safety and productivity.
Minister Gwede Mantashe also called on the industry to address mining’s reputation as “dirty, difficult, diseased, dangerous and deadly” by prioritising safer working conditions and responsible leadership.
He said: “The safety of mine workers is not something that you trade off with. Mine workers convert investment into wealth. Nobody else. You put your investment in a particular company, and workers put their skin and neck on the block to convert that investment into wealth. Therefore treating them fairly is not a choice but a must.”
David Msiza, chief inspector of mines at the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, said the government is always prepared to work with the sector to prevent injuries and fatalities at mines. He pointed out that this is important because without miners the coal mining sector would not exist.
“Every life lost underground is one too many. Mine safety cannot become a box-ticking compliance exercise; it must remain an uncompromising industry priority,” he said.
